A dab of salt, A pinch of sugar
by Two-Tail-Demon
Summary: Sheena had always been sure she was able to read people a little, but Zelos. Zelos just seemed to be a whole different story. What's worse, she doesn't even get to finish her curry! How rude.


_Okay, so I'm behind on the times and I'm just now playing Tales of Symphonia. I know, shoot me. Anyway, I wanted to try my hand at some Zelos/Sheena since those two are...um, well, I'm not sure there is a word to describe them. I could go with cute, but that doesn't quite fit either. Anyway, I hope I did them justice and I hope you enjoy!_

Sometimes I would forget just how important of a journey I was on. I mean, it feels like just yesterday I was regular, old Sheena. I wasn't chasing after the Chosen. I wasn't out to kill anyone. Heck, there was a time when I believed there was only one world. One sky.

When I was sent to kill the Chosen of Sylvarant, I never once thought it would be easy. Y'know I expected a challenge! It didn't want to kill anyone, really, but at least it'd bring me honor. Well, not that I'd deserve it. Regardless to say, I wasn't expecting Colette to be so…. so friendly. So nice, especially to the women who was trying to kill her for Martel's sake!

Absentmindedly, I added a few more spices into the pan I was holding and watched as its contents fizzed and bubbled. I wasn't an amazing chef, but at least I knew how to make curry, and man was I glad I knew how! I haven't eaten all day, and the last thing I was going to do was ask someone else in our party to make something for me. Reasons? Well, the only people still awake right now other than myself were Raine, Zelos, and Presea. It was a rule of thumb that you never ate Raine's cooking. Everyone knew that. As for Zelos, I wasn't about ready to ask that stupid Chosen to do anything for me. I didn't know Presea all that well, and she was only 12 anyway. I wouldn't want her to accidentally burn herself or something.

Another good reason was that I simply didn't need their help. Yes, I know, it sounds kind of selfish. Being a ninja and all, I've learned to support myself... as best I can.

I, uh, should have mentioned it earlier but right now we're out camping near Ozette. We would've made it there by nightfall if a certain brown-haired rascal hadn't picked a fight with some nasty looking monsters. Not only did they take forever to kill, but I'm sure it's going to take all of us forever to heal. I mean, over-all, we're fine, but we all have a few wounds here and there. Not to mention the nasty cut Genis got on his left arm. The poor kid had such a hard time falling asleep, and Raine was so frazzled to get him into better shape. I hope she goes to sleep soon. She needs the rest.

I glance around the little clearing we've called home for the night, and watch as the fireflies dance around the surrounding trees. One of the little bugs lands neatly on Colette's nose, and I laugh silently to myself as she tries to flick it away. The sizzling from my pain grows louder and take my eyes away from the sleeping girl to stir the curry. Wouldn't want it to burn now.

From across the clearing I hear the rustling of fabric and I look up to see what's all the fuss. What I see isn't exactly what I was expecting. It was Zelos and he was sitting in the same spot he had been since we set up camp, but he was looking up at the sky pensively. Usually the jerk would be smiling that sweet and sour smile of his without a care in the world. This time though, I could see thoughts swimming in his eyes. It was an odd sight.

Curious, I followed his line of sight straight up into the sky. One of the reasons why I love Tethe'alla is because of its sky. I mean, just look at it! All those stars just sitting there; basking the world in their faint glow. No worries. No problems. I kind of wish I could be a star. Only sometimes though.

"Hey, sweetie, hate to inform you but your curry's burning".

I jump slightly at the sound of, well, sound. Being in the forest in the dead of night, you usually don't hear all that much other than the crickets. With a sharp turn I let my eyes drop on the only man who'd dare call me sweetie. Zelos.

"Excuse me?", I ask with just a bit of malice at the edge of my voice. The thoughtfully look in his eyes seemed to be gone now and that smirk of his was gracing his lips again. Typical.

"Did you not hear me hunny? I said your curry's burning. As in, it won't be edible soon", his lips curled into an even larger smirk as I looked down and realized he was right. Man, had I really been staring at the sky for that long? Or was it...

"Thank you so _kindly_ for telling me. Now, wouldn't it be in your best interest to maybe get some sleep? I know that _lovely_ little cut of yours won't get any better if continue to stay awake", I huff irritably, and give him a half serious/half exhausted look. Kind of like the look you'd always get from your parents when you stayed up to late.

I watch him as he glances down at the rather large leg wound he received in battle today, though it was much larger earlier. Raine was amazing like that. I predict in a few days time it'll be nothing more than a scratch, but right now it looked pretty nasty. Tossing in a few more spices, I stir vigorously to keep the edges of the pan from burning any more. If I'm lucky I'll be able to save at least half of it.

A few minutes pass, and neither of us make a sound. I'm quite surprised actually. Zelos isn't normally the one to just outright shut up. Though I guess my thoughts were about to be proven wrong, because not a moment later I here rustling from across from me again. This time though, I ignore it. I just want to eat and go to sleep. That's it, or at least I thought it was. To my ungodly surprise I found that he had been moving closer toward me while I was concentrating on my pan, and he was so close now that I could feel his hair tickling my shoulder.

I slowly turned my head to look at him and was met with one of his overly preppy smiles. I could tell right away that his smile was fake. Most of them were anyway, but something about this one seemed... off. I don't know how to explain it. I felt like their was something else under that smile that wasn't quite as cheerful.

"Y-yes?", I ask. I scooch away ever so slightly, but sadly I forget to take into account the tree that was sort of blocking my path. Dammit.

"I was wondering if you'd be a sweet heart and let me have some of that curry of yours? You know I haven't eaten all day, right? I mean, a man has to keep himself well-fed if he intends to keep himself looking as flawless as I do". I honestly couldn't tell if he was really 100% serious right now or not. I happened to know that he wasn't particularly fond of the ingredients I used in my cooking. Giving the curry another stir, I give him an irritated glance and a sigh.

"I know you don't like my cooking, and besides, why don't you just make your own food if you're so hungry?", I ask dryly. Seemingly ignoring my obvious annoyance, Zelos claps his hands together and gives me an even bigger smile.

"It's far to late to start cooking now! No to mention I've been dying for curry all week! Wouldn't you love to make my day and let me have some of yours hunny?"

"No".

The look on his face, while priceless, almost seemed hurt at my curt answer. Another sigh escapes my lips, and I watch as my breath floats into the cold night air. I can't believe I was doing this...

"Fine. You can have some, but you have to wait until it's done, understand! I don't want to find you eating it half-cooked like you did last time", I point my spoon at him threateningly, or as threatening as I can be, and watch as his previous pout suddenly turned into another smile.

"What can I say sweetie. I'm just impatient~", he lets slip his playful voice, and I swear his smirk starts growing off his face, but I ignore it best I can. Frankly, i don't want to know what he's thinking.

I return to stirring the curry and add the last of the spices to it before bringing the spoon to my lips and taking a test taste. Not bad for being half burnt.

"Hey. That's not fair!"

"Hmm?" I turn to see him pouting again and his arms crossed.

"You ate some of it before it was done!"

"Well, as the chef, I need to make sure it tastes okay before eating it", I say matter-o-factly. He continues to pout, and I return to stirring. Suddenly, I see one of his gloved hands reach out in front of my face and before I have time to react he grabs my chin. Surprisingly though, not roughly. In fact, his touch is quite soft. Against my better nature I stiff up and watch out of the corner of my eye as he leans in closer to me. Every sensible part of me tells me to move, but I don't. Or more like, I can't. Something about this has me glued to my spot. He continues to lean forward and stops just as his nose was about to touch mine.

A few seconds past of him simply starring at me, and I see that same pensive look that I saw earlier when he was looking off into the sky. I think this was the first time... the first time I didn't mind looking into those blue eyes of his.

In a soft, almost tender like voice, he whispers into my ear, "May I have a test taste to?". Before I even register what he says, he leans down and licks the curry away from the edge of my lip. The action is so quick that I barely register it, and yet, and yet the feel of his breath on my skin makes me shiver long afterward. And just like that, he leans away. I snap my head to look at him, and... that's it. I just look at him. I-I can't really find any words to say.

Zelos doesn't even look at me. Nope, he's looking at the ground with that same look, except now his lips are pursed into a thin line. I've never seen him so... I don't even know the right words to say it, but he just doesn't look like the Zelos I know. He looks serious and, ashamed?

A few minutes drift by again, and with the silence killing me, I do the impossible and grab his sleeve. Well, it's not really all that impossible I guess, but it was at the time!

"Zelos..."

"I'm sorry".

Well, those were the last words I ever thought I'd hear him say but he did. I tilt my head to try and get a better look at him, and he lifts his head up to look at mine.

"Go ahead. Slap me. I know you want to", he says softly, pushing back a lock of red hair over his shoulder. As I continued to look up at him, I thought of all the weird emotions I was feeling. Confusion. Anger. Embarrassment. Curiosity. To my amazement though, I didn't want to slap him. I had no desire to.

"I'm... not going to slap you."

"Wait, what?", his head flies up and I see a face that clearly expressed confusion, and amazement.

"You heard me. I'm not going to slap you, but I am going to ask you why did that". I'm surprised at how flat my voice sounds. I figured I would have been furious right now, so why wasn't I?

"Ah, well, y'know..." he started, and didn't seem to have a clue as to where he was going with this. "You see, I did that because... because I didn't want you to walk around with a dirty face. I mean, after all, I wouldn't want to be seen in public with a girl who doesn't even wash her own face! And another thing...", every second that went by seemed to add more and more color to his face.

"Okay, now, what's the real reason?"

Zelos stopped dead in his little rant and looked at me. With a heavy sigh, he scratched the back of his head and looked awkwardly down at his feet. It still amazed me that I was looking at Zelos, the so-called chivalrous pervert who did nothing but get himself in trouble.I don't think I can really express just how off he looked from his normal self right now.

"Zelos..."

"Is it wrong to show affection to someone you like?"

"What?"

"I said, is it wrong to show affection to someone you like?", his quiet tone was now gone, and was replaced with one that showed no fear. Like he was going out on a limb, and wasn't afraid if he fell.

For the second time that night, he caught me off guard and hugged me. Not a quick half-hearted hug, but a genuine hug. I looked up at him and saw that his eyes were shut tight. Very slowly, but surely, I unwrapped my arms from around myself and hugged him back. He was warm. Not a hot, sticky kind of warm, but a gentle warm. I buried my nose into his neck to keep myself out of the cool air.

"Y'know", I whisper soothingly, "you're such a handful at times". He looks down at me with a questioning look and I smile. "You're always such a pain to read. I never quite know what you're thinking". He continues to look at me with that puzzled look of his.

I lay my head on his chest again and yawn. I feel him tense under my touch. He must be a tad confused, though frankly he has no room to talk since he started this whole mess.

"Would it set your mind at ease if I said I liked you to? How does that sound?", I whisper. I feel him rest his head on top of mine, and just before I slip into sleep, I hear him mutter something.

"That sounds pretty good".

_Oh jebus, that ending was rushed. I hope you all can forgive me. _


End file.
